Belmont Stakes 2019: Meet the contenders and watch them run

The past three Belmont Stakes winners that haven't also won the Triple Crown have been sons of Tapit.

American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 won the Belmont to complete the Triple Crown. Tapit offspring Tonalist won the Belmont in 2014, Creator won in 2016 and Tapwrit won in 2017.

Nine or 10 horses are expected to contest the 151st Belmont Stakes on Saturday, and three that will tackle the 1.5-mile race are sons of Tapit -- Bourbon War, Intrepid Heart and Tacitus.

Tacitus finished third in the Kentucky Derby on May 4, and Bourbon War ran eighth in the Preakness Stakes on May 18. The Belmont will be Intrepid Heart’s first Triple Crown race.

War of Will will be the only horse to compete in all three Triple Crown races this season. After being at the center of the controversy that resulted in Maximum Security being stripped of victory in the Kentucky Derby, War of Will rebounded to win the Preakness.

Three other horses could be joining Wood Memorial winner Tacitus in doing the Kentucky Derby-Belmont Stakes double, coming back after a five-week rest. Master Fencer finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby, Tax came in 14th and Spinoff ran 18th, although Tax's trainer, Danny Gargan, said on Saturday he was wavering about entering his colt in the Belmont.

The field for Saturday's race won't be set until the draw for post positions on Tuesday afternoon.

Second-place Preakness finisher Everfast is expected to run on Saturday.

Two other Triple Crown newcomers -- Joevia and Sir Winston -- also are pointing toward the Belmont.

With Kentucky Derby winner Country House not at Belmont Park, this year’s Triple Crown season would produce three different winners for the third time in four years if War of Will doesn’t finish first on Saturday.

If War of Will wins, the colt would be the 18th to capture the Preakness and Belmont without winning the Kentucky Derby. Afleet Alex most recently accomplished the feat in 2005. The other horses owning that double are Point Given in 2001, Tabasco Cat in 1994, Hansel in 1991, Risen Star in 1988, Little Current in 1974, Damascus in 1967, Nashua in 1955, Native Dancer in 1953, Capot in 1949, Bimelech in 1940, Pillory in 1922, Man o’ War in 1920, Belmar in 1895, Saunterer in 1881, Grenada in 1880, Duke of Magenta in 1878 and Cloverbrook in 1877. Six of those horses did not run in the Kentucky Derby.

Post time for the 151st Belmont Stakes is approximately 5:35 p.m. CDT Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. NBC will televise the race.

The horses considered likely to enter the 2019 Belmont Stakes include:

Bourbon War ran eighth at the Preakness on May 18, which was the colt’s first race since a fourth-place finish in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 30. Bourbon War won his two non-stakes races, including beating future Kentucky Derby runner Cutting Humor at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 18, and finished fourth in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 1 and second to Code of Honor at the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 2. Trainer: Mark Hennig. Jockey: Mike Smith, who has ridden three Belmont winners -- Drosselmeyer in 2010, Palace Malice in 2013 and Justify in 2018. Record: 6-2-1-0. Earnings: $202,100. Pedigree: My Conquestadory by Tapit.

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Everfast had hit the board once in five races as a 3-year-old -- finishing second in the Grade 2 Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 2 -- when he closed ground on the rail down the stretch to finish second to War of Will by 1.25 lengths at the Preakness Stakes on May 18. Everfast ran at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Derby day, but not in the big race. The colt finished fifth in the Pat Day Mile. Everfast’s only victory came in the colt’s first race -- a maiden special weight on Sept. 12 at Ellis Park. Trainer: Dale Romans. Jockey: Luis Saez. Record: 11-1-2-1. Earnings: $464,805. Pedigree: Awesome Surprise by Take Charge Indy.

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Intrepid Heart has never finished out of the money, but the colt is lightly campaigned. Intrepid Heart didn’t race as a 2-year-old, then opened his career with victories at Oaklawn on Feb. 18 and Keeneland on April 5. In his most recent outing Intrepid Heart ran third, 6 lengths out, as the favorite in the Peter Pan Stakes on May 11 at Belmont Park. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who has saddled three Belmont winners -- Rags to Riches in 2007, Palace Malice in 2013 and Tapwrit in 2017. Jockey: John Velazquez, who has ridden two Belmont winners -- Rags to Riches in 2007 and Union Rags in 2012. Record: 3-2-0-1. Earnings: $140,400. Pedigree: Flaming Heart by Tapit.

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Joevia enters the Belmont Stakes off a 2.75-length victory in the Long Branch Stakes in the mud at Monmouth Park on May 12. In the colt’s only graded-stakes outing, Joevia finished 11th in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 6. That followed a pair of second-place finishes after Joevia broke his maiden the first time out on July 15, 2018. Trainer: Gregory Sacco. Jockey: Jose Lezcano. Record: 5-2-2-0. Earnings: $131,600. Pedigree: Peace Process by Shanghai Bobby.

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Master Fencer finished sixth in the Kentucky Derby as the first Japanese-bred starter in the race’s history. Master Fencer came to the United States off a second-place finish in the Fukuryu Stakes on March 31. Trainer: Koichi Tsunoda. Jockey: Julien Leparoux. Record: 7-2-2-0. Earnings: $234,392. Pedigree: Sexy Zamurai by Just A Way.

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Sir Winston won twice as a 2-year-old at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto around his only graded-stakes outing there -- a third-place run in the Grade 3 Grey Stakes on Oct. 21. As a 3-year-old, the colt finished fourth in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, fifth in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby, seventh in the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes and second in the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes. Closing to within 1.25 lengths and recording the best speed figure of his career in the Peter Pan at Belmont on May 11, earned Sir Winston the opportunity to stick around Belmont Park for the big race. Trainer: Mark Casse. Jockey: Joel Rosario, who rode 2014 Belmont winner Tonalist. Record: 9-2-1-1. Earnings: $161,773. Pedigree: La Gran Bailadora by Awesome Again.

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Spinoff posted an 11.75-length victory racing at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 22 after finishing third in the Grade 2 Saratoga Special Stakes on Aug. 12. Off that performance, the colt entered the Louisiana Derby on March 23 as the second favorite, and Spinoff finished in second three-quarters of a length behind By My Standards after leading in the stretch. In the colt’s most recent outing, Spinoff finished 18th in the Kentucky Derby on May 4. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who has saddled three Belmont winners -- Rags to Riches in 2007, Palace Malice in 2013 and Tapwrit in 2017. Jockey: Javier Castellano. Record: 5-2-1-1. Earnings: $260,000. Pedigree: Zaftig by Hard Spun.

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Tacitus finished on top of the Road to the Kentucky Derby point standings after a big run down the stretch won the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 6. That followed a victory in the big, gray colt’s only previous 2019 outing -- the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9. The third race of 2019 resulted in a third-place showing at the Kentucky Derby on May 4. Trainer: William Mott, who saddled 2010 Belmont winner Drosselmeyer. Jockey: Jose Ortiz, who rode 2017 Belmont winner Tapwrit. Record: 5-3-0-1. Earnings: $953,000. Pedigree: Close Hatches by Tapit.

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Tax had never finished out of the money until running 14th in the Kentucky Derby on May 4. The gelding scored his best result in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes on Feb. 2, when he won by a head. That was the middle of three stakes races at Aqueduct. Tax had run third in the Grade 3 Remsen Stakes on Dec. 1 and finished second in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 6, when he came in 1.25 lengths behind Tacitus. Trainer: Danny Gargan. Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode 2016 Belmont winner Creator. Record: 6-2-2-1. Earnings: $326,300. Pedigree: Toll by Arch.

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War of Will, the colt most affected on the track by Maximum Security’s offending move in the Kentucky Derby, got a seventh-place finish out of the Run for the Roses on May 4, then ran down the rail to win the Preakness Stakes on May 18. War of Will ran off three straight victories to open his 3-year-old season, including the Grade 3 LeComte Stakes on Jan. 19 and the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 16. Then came the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 23, when War of Will finished ninth as the favorite -- 12 lengths behind winner By My Standards. Trainer: Mark Casse. Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione. Record: 10-4-1-1. Earnings: $1,491,569. Pedigree: Visions of Clarity by War Front.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.